Published in Physics World, 16 Jun 2009
Physicists in Israel have created a black–hole analogue that can trap sound in the same way an astrophysical black hole can trap light. The system, which comprises a “density-inverted Bose–Einstein condensate”, may present one of the best chances yet to detect elusive Hawking radiation.
In an astrophysical sense, a black hole is a region of space so dense that the gravity at its centre approaches infinity. Surrounding this region is the so–called event horizon, beyond which nothing — not even light — can escape.
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